Adjusting sleeve



June 1, 1954 E. J. HERBENAR 2,680,033

ADJUSTING'SLEEVE Filed April 5, 1951 Patented June 1, 1954 ADJUSTING SLEEVE Edward J. Herbenar, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 3, 1951, Serial No. 218,978

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in an adjusting sleeve or turnbuckle barrel. More specifically, the invention relates to an adjusting sleeve and an adjusting sleeve assembly in which the gripping action about connected members is substantially improved while the assembly of split clamping rings on the slotted tube ends is simplified.

Most adjusting sleeve assemblies of the prior art are of the type requiring the placing of the clamps on the slotted tube ends in a particular radial relation in order that the clamping effect will not be reduced. Furthermore, the clamping action occurring in these assemblies is, to a great extent, a hinging or pivoting of each peripheral half of the slotted end portion about a line diametrically opposite to the slot, thus applying an uneven pressure to the connected members. Because of the use of a longitudinal slot, the clamping action in these prior art turnbuckles was attained by straight frictional engagement between the threads of the turnbuckle and the connected members without any wedging therebetween. In addition, many of the adjusting sleeves of the prior art are more expeditiously formed from flat sheet stock than from tubular stock.

According to the present invention, an internally threaded adjusting sleeve is provided with spiral or helical slots in the end portions.

Clamping rings of any suitable construction are inserted over the slotted end portions for contracting the'same about portions of two connected members inserted within the tube. .The use of helical slots permits the formation of longer slots to give a superior clamping efiect without reducing the strength of the tube. The clamping rings can be placed in any radial position on the circumference of the tube without reducing the locking effect. Because ,of the helical formation of the slots, a substantially improved wrap-around of the slotted end portion is achieved, and the tendency to hinge about a fulcrum diametrically opposite to a longitudinal slot is eliminated. Furthermore, the internal threads of the slotted end portions tend to wedge against the threads of the connected members by the torsional strains set up due to pivoting of the materialof the end portions about the inner ends of the slots, thereby providing a substantially superior attachment with a reduced clamping force. Since no external protuberances or other integral extensions are provided on the tube, this member can be formed either from flat sheet stock or from tubular stock with equal ease.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved adjusting sleeve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified adjusting sleeve assembly having an increased clamping effectiveness.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide an adjusting sleeve utilizing relatively long helical slots to increase the clamping efiect Without reducing the strength of the sleeve.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a turnbuckle barrel assembly in which the clamping members can be placed in any radial position on the circumference of the slotted barrel ends without reducing the locking effect.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an adjusting sleeve assembly in which hinging about a line diametrically opposite to the slot is substantially eliminated to increase the clamping efliciency.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable clamping sleeve assembly in which the clamping effect is substantially increased while the clamping force required is substantially decreased, at least partially due to a wedging action between mating threads on the sleeve and the connected member.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment, by way of preferred example only, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

- On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flat sheet blank used for forming an adjusting sleeve according to the present invention and showing a rolled sleeve in dotted outline superimposed on the blank;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a finished adjusting sleeve or turnbuckle barrel as formed from a blank shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of an adjusting sleeve assembly utilizing a sleeve such as shown in Figure 2 and showing portions of connected members extending from the ends of the sleeve;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line IVIV of Figure 3 and showing the adjusting sleeve and one clamp in end elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 3 is shown an adjustable sleeve or turnbuckle assembly and including an adjusting sleeve or turnbuckle barrel l l and a pair of split clamps l2-|2 on the respective end portions of the tube II. Portions of two members i4 and I5, having right-hand and left-hand screw clamping flanges l 9-19 formed at the peripheral 1 ends of the bight portion. The ears i9fi9 are provided with coaxial bolt apertures (not shown) for receiving a headed adjusting-bolt2l'3ito spana gap or split 2| between the opposedbears. locking washer 22 and an adjusting nut 24 are positioned on the unheaded end otthebolt,

for cooperation therewith to vary the width of the gap 2! for varying the peripheral length1of the bight portion 18.

According to the present invention, means are provided for substantially increasing theclamp ing effect of the-sleeve assembly 10 without reducing the strength of the sleeve: H. For this purpose, a pair of spiral or helicalopen-ended slots 25-25 are formed in the respective end portions of the sleeve Ii with-the screw pitch of the helical slots being at least four times the diameter of the sleeve and herein-shown as approximatelyeight times the diameter. The sleeve II is preferably at least four times'as longas its outside diameter and is hereinshown as about five times its diameter in length. This simple but highly important improvementina slotted end adjusting sleeve provides several sub- 5 stantial advantages. Afsomewhat longer slot can be provided in-the same length of slotted'end portion of 1 the sleeve to givegreater resiliency to the end portion to produce asuperiorclamp: inggeffect without reducing-the strength 0f the sleeve. Furthermore, the clamp l2 can be placed in" any radial position on the slotted end portion without reducing the locking effect in-contradistinction to a'sleeve havinga straight longitudinal slot in which theclampgsplit: must be placed over the slot in order to attainthe maxiev mum. clamping effect.

In an adjusting sleeve utilizinga straight longitudinal slot, the tendency of theslotted end por-, tion. is to hingeabout a linesubstantially diametrically opposite the slot to give an inferior wrap-around about the connected, member- In this invention, the slotted endportion will wrap about the connected member in a superior man,- nerpartially because of the increased length of the slot. and increased resiliency of. the :endportion and partially since the material of. the end portion will tend under the torsional stresses set up to'hinge about the inner end of. the helical slot. inner ends of. the slot provides a wedgingpeffeet-between. the-threads of the. tube and the threads of the connected members insteadof a mere straight pressure frictional engagement therebetween as is the case with a straight-. slotted tube. Thus, the clamping effect is substantially increased while the clamping eiiort or force required-is decreased.

Since the clamps may be placed in any radial This pivoting. oijthe material about the.

position on the slotted end portions, the assembly time of adjusting sleeve assemblies according to this invention is substantially decreased and the cost in mass production thereby reduced.

Because of the simplicity of the construction of the sleeve, it can be manufactured with equal ease from fiat sheet stock or tubular stock. The adjusting sleeve -;shown'in the drawings is produced from fiatsheet stock by first forming a flat sheet blank 26 in a punch-press or the like in the exact size needed for rolling the finished tube-H about a mandrel (not shown). It will be noted that the flat blank 26 is formed with opposite: side, recesses or cutouts 2l-2l and 28' 28'- onrespective opposite sides thereof. When the finished sleeve II is rolled from the blankZB, theopposing cutouts 21 and 28 at each end of the rolled tube form the helical slots 28 with-"opposite central portions 29 and 39 of the side edges in opposed abutted relation. The abuttedcentral edges 29 and 30 may then-:be fixedly secured, as by welding at 3!, and thein: ternal' threads ISand ll then formed thereinby tapping operations. It will be noted that the cutouts 21 and 28 are initially formed with straight defining edges in parallel diagonal or oblique relation so that the resultant slots 25 .will

form true helices along the surfaceof the cylindrical tube II.

Fromthe above description, it will be readily understood that the present invention provides a substantially improved adjusting sleeve or turnbuckle assembly-having helical end slots which maybe formed as easily'as conventionaladjusting tube assemblies while achieving a substantially superior clamping efficiency.

Itywill be understood that-modifications and variations may be effected without: departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention;

I claim as my invention:

An adjusting sleeve assembly for adjustably securing a threaded member, comprising an'elon-, gated tube, said tube having a helical open-ended slot in one end portion, a split clamp disposed over the slotted end portion of the tube andhaving a split bight portion encircling the tube,:

means for contracting the periphery of I said clamp, said tube having screw threads formed in;

the slotted end portion engaging the threads of said threaded member, whereby tightening of said means induces a wedging gripping action between the threads of the tube and said threaded member in responseto contraction of the clamp;-

periphery causing contraction of the periphery "of the slotted end portion of the tube.

References Cited the, file of this patent,

UNITED STATESTPATENTS Number Name Date 612,685 Thorp Oct. l8,'18 98j 1,631,719 Chandler June 'l', 1927 1,739,341 Adams Dec. 10, 1929 2,227,648 Hufferd Jan. 7, 1941 2,340,300 Booth Feb. 1, 1944 2,526,470 Gauthier Oct. 17, 1950 2,574,249 Crowson Nov. 6, 1951 

